


It Makes You, You

by SpacedOut



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Hide and Seek, Homophobia, Hurt/Comfort, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Richie's mom sucks, Transphobia, transphobic slurs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-20
Updated: 2017-09-20
Packaged: 2018-12-31 21:02:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12141069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpacedOut/pseuds/SpacedOut
Summary: Richie's mom says some homophobic stuff about him and Eddie and it confuses/pisses him off. He takes it out on Eddie.(BASED ON AN ANON ASK FROM MY TUMBLR)**User bestgoddamnbroccoli on Tumblr translated this fic into Russian! Here's the Link and go follow her SHE IS AMAZING <3https://ficbook.net/readfic/5988549





	It Makes You, You

**Author's Note:**

> No beta. All mistakes are my own.

Richie sat by himself at the kitchen table. It was a lazy Saturday morning and he had 4 big waffles stacked on an old china plate with butter and Derry’s Homemade Strawberry Syrup that Bill had recommended to him.

He remembered walking up to the syrup stand at Derry’s biggest summer festival. Bill and Eddie were sitting on a nearby curb talking and the rest of the gang was nowhere in sight. Richie hit on the elderly women selling the syrup and somehow managed to snag a jar before heading back over to the curb. 

_“H-h-h-hey, you-u-u actual-ly-ly got it.”_

_“Scored it from the old lady the with the gray hair,” Richie replied, taking the lid off the jar to sniff the contents._

_“You know that wasn’t approved by the FDA right? Like that could have anything in it and you wouldn’t know. Could be poison for all we know. We don’t know what that lady was doing when she made that,” Eddie looked up at the boy with coke-bottle glasses before standing up and joining him._

_“I didn’t know the FDA had to check the ingredients of your mom’s period blood,” Richie said. He pretended to pour the red liquid onto the shorter boy._

_Eddie tried to punch him before realizing that his arm was still healing. “You’re lucky I broke my dominant arm or you’d be toast.”_

__

_Richie closed the jar and pulled Eddie into a half hug, careful not to touch the still bruised arm. “I am lucky, Eddie spaghetti, that I have a nice chap such as yourself to accompany me on this fine summer’s eve.”_

__

_Eddie turned pink, before pulling away from the taller boy. “I hate that name! I don’t even like spaghetti!”_

__

Richie’s memory was interrupted by his mother walking through the front door and into the kitchen. Great.

__

“Richard, what did I say about using the nice china grandma gave us! You don’t know how to listen, do you?” she yelled, snatching his plate and pouring the waffles covered in syrup into the trash. 

__

Richie’s heart sank watching his food go to waste. There wasn’t much left in the house and that was last of the breakfast food they had. 

__

“Sorry mom.”

__

His mom ignored his apology and started washing the dishes in the old, rusted sink. 

__

“I was talking to Mrs. Norton from across the street. She told me that she saw you playing outside with Kaspbrak’s son. She said she thought you were a girl.”

__

Richie chuckled at the thought. Eddie would get a kick out of that.

__

Richie’s mother turned around, pointing at him with a sponge in hand,“It’s not funny, Richard. We need to get your hair cut. I don’t want people thinking my son is a tranny.”

__

“What’s a tranny?” Richie had a colorful vocabulary; it wasn’t often when he didn’t know what a slang word meant. 

__

“It’s a fag that dresses like a girl,” his mother replied, “It’s bad enough that you’re playing with that Edward boy. The town’s been saying he’s been a fag since before he started class with you in first grade.”

__

People think Eddie is queer? And Mrs. Norton thinks I’m a tranny? What? 

__

“It’s not right, Richard, it’s disgusting. I hope you understand that when you hang out with your friend. Being a fag is the worst sin you could commit in this world. I see what you two do when you play in the yard. Wrestling and all that nonsense; I don’t want you touching that kid anymore. We’ll get you a haircut on Monday.”

__

Richie’s dad called for his mom. She threw the sponge down and left the room leaving Richie at the kitchen table, stomach growling without breakfast. Little did she know, her son’s eyes were filling with tears.

__

****

__

“Richie, where the hell have you been?” Eddie asked as the tall boy approached them at the barrens. Even after defeating the stupid fucking clown, they still hung out there. It almost felt more comfortable after they found out the ancient monster nested nearby. It felt like home, especially for Bill.

__

“What’s it to ya?” Richie snapped, passing by him without another thought. Eddie looked stung. 

__

“We-e-e were just-t get-getting ready to-o pl-ay-ay…” Bill started.

__

“Hide and Seek,” Stan finished for him, “Geeze, Bill, it’s real bad today isn’t it?”

__

“Give him a break, we’ve been out here for awhile,” Bev said, defending Bill.

__

“Yeah, we have. Where were ya, Rich? We thought maybe you were sick or something,” Mike said, standing up from the boulder he had been resting on.

__

“I was busy. My mom was bitching as usual,” Richie tried to be nonchalant but his anger over his conversation at breakfast still tormented him. 

__

“Well we were just picking teams. It’s Ben’s turn to find us. Bill and I are on a team. So are Mike and Bev. Eddie waited til you got here so that you guys can be together,” Stan said.

__

Eddie walked towards Richie to stand by his side. Richie shifted away. “Great,” he said under his breath. Eddie was the only one that heard him. He looked down at his sandals, wondering what the hell he did to deserve the shit that Richie was serving him. 

__

Ben ran over to a tree, “I’m counting to 100…. starting… NOW!”

__

The Loser’s club ran off into all directions. Bill and Stan ran towards the open field to find some boulders to hide behind. Bev pulled Mike toward the water, trying to plan a way to hide under the water without needing to come up for breath. Eddie and Richie headed for the woods. They all agreed not to hide in the sewers anymore. 

__

“What are you thinking?” Eddie asked, breaking the awkward silence among the two. It was never like this. 

__

“Maybe we could climb up a tree?” Richie wasn’t into it. 

__

“You know how I feel about trees. They are probably littered with bird shit. Maybe bat shit too since we’re closer to the caves. There’s also those insects that…” 

__

“Eddie, would you stop being such a fucking tranny,” Richie yelled at him. 

__

“What? What the fuck is a tranny?” Eddie asked, confused at the random outburst.

__

“It’s a fag that dresses and acts like a girl. You act like a girl all the time. I’m sick of it. You probably wanna blow that leper that kept offering his dick to you.” 

__

Richie regretted the words as soon as they left his lips, especially that last sentence. He watched Eddie’s eyes widen.

__

Eddie thought back to the leper. _I’ll blow ya for a dime. Come on, Eddie, it’ll be nice. Hell, if ya come here I may even blow ya for free._

__

It was the most horrifying moment of his life and it took a lot of trust to tell Richie what had been said to him that day on Neibolt Street. And now he’s making fun of him for it.

__

Richie noticed that Eddie started shaking and tried reaching for his shoulder. Eddie turned and ran away before Richie could watch him cry.

__

“Eddie, wait up. I’m sorry!” Richie called after him, his heart in his throat.

__

Richie chased after him, back to where their friends were starting to congregate. Apparently Ben hadn’t even thought to look in the woods.

__

Richie thought about all of the times he and Eddie played in the yard at his house. They would lie on their backs in the tall grass under a large birch tree. They would keep count of all of the birds that landed in the tree before they flew off into the summer afternoon. Richie would turn his head to face Eddie’s while Eddie pointed up at another bird.

__

He would use those moments to steal long glances at his best friend. He’d take note of the small, peppered freckles on Eddie’s smooth cheeks and the light in his bright, brown eyes. 

__

He would study how his brown hair moved with the breeze; he studied that harder than any test he would study for in school.

__

Richie would watch how Eddie’s wet lips pursed after counting the fifth bird in three minutes. He could always smell the Blistex lip balm smeared across Eddie’s lips when they lay beside each other. It somehow became one of his most favorite scents in the world. Intoxicating.

__

Richie cherished those moments. Hell, he cherished every moment with Eddie. He has been his best friend for six years and he never wanted anything to change that. If anything, he wanted more.

__

_And that was the problem._

__

Richie caught up to the rest of The Loser’s club. Eddie was already there, standing behind everyone and honestly trying to hide from Richie. Richie felt like he deserved it.

__

“Wha-what the fuck-k happ-ppened back th-there?” Bill asked.

__

Clearly everyone knew Eddie was upset, even if Eddie tried to ignore everyone and hide it.

__

“Nothing Bill, leave it alone,” Eddie said, his voice cracking a little.

__

“Dude, you’re crying. Did you guys see something…?” Ben asked, “I couldn’t find you anywhere.”

__

Eddie was about to say something, but Richie cut him off.

__

“I called Eddie a tranny for not wanting to hide in a tree with me…” Richie said, looking down at his shoes. His anger from his mother earlier turned into dread after seeing Eddie so hurt from his words. He really knew how to fuck things up didn’t he?

__

“Why?” Ben asked.

__

“I don’t know… I..” Richie thought about telling everyone to forget about it and he could try to cheer Eddie up but he thought better of it. He hurt Eddie and he needed to explain himself.

__

“My mom said that my neighbors think Eddie and I are gay.”

__

“What?” Eddie came out from hiding behind the rest of the losers. His face turned red.

__

“She said I looked like a girl and she told me that when me and Eddie hang out it’s disgusting and that he’s going to make me gay and I don’t know it pissed me off…” Richie admitted. It really sucked to announce this to all of his friends. He would rather face the dead lights at this point.

__

“Richie, your mom is insane. She’s wrong,” Bev said. She always tried to calm everyone down when things got heated like this.

__

The rest of the group was about to agree when Richie bursts out, “But she’s not.”

__

Eddie looked up at Richie, his eyes wide with shock.

__

“She’s not wrong because I am queer. It’s not Eddie’s fault either. I’m the one that likes him. It’s my fault because I’m gross and I’m going to hell. Everyone fuck off!”

__

And with that, it was Richie’s turn to run off.

__

He ran until he could feel his lungs giving out. He felt the veins in his head pump blood and it gave him the worst headache of his life. His legs felt like jelly by the time he made it to an ally in a neighborhood just outside the barrens.

__

He lay in the dirt while trying to calm his heart rate. Welp, I guess he’s out of the Loser’s Club. I bet they were all talking about how disgusted they were with him at this very moment.

__

He thought about the red bridge where the gang would hang out. The bridge was chipped and carved with hundreds of gay slurs, most likely written by Henry and his gang of ass munchers. He remembers some of the losers laughing at the particularly funny names such as “butt buddies” and “fairies”. Richie would sometimes join in on the laughter. Eddie normally remained silent.

__

Suddenly, Richie heard the younger boy hyperventilating in the distance. He sat up.

__

Holy shit, Eds chased after him. But how? with his asthma?

__

Richie saw Eddie slowly begin to collapse when he saw him. Shit.

__

Richie got up and ran over to him. Before Richie could say anything, Eddie panted, “Inhaler… I forgot… it.”

__

Richie pulled an inhaler from his pocket and sat down and pulled Eddie into his lap. He pushed the inhaler to the smaller boys lips until they wrapped around the mouthpiece. Richie pushed the button and Eddie shook in his lap, trying his best to inhale the medicine.

__

They sat like that for a while until Eddie visibly began to calm down.

__

Finally, Eddie spoke first.

__

“You had my inhaler?”

__

“I always bring your spare one with me, just in case.”

__

“That’s good. I still think they’re gazebos…”

__

Richie laughed, “Gazebos or not, they just saved your ass.”

__

“No, you did.”

__

“Did what?”

__

“Saved my ass, you dipshit.”

__

“Oh,” Richie looked away.

__

“Your mom’s wrong.”

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“Eddie, I already told you…”

__

Eddie turned in his lap and faced him “-No listen you idiot. Your mom is wrong about it being disgusting. It’s not.”

__

“But I thought the leper…”

__

“–The leper is stupid, okay? It took me a long time to realize it but it’s true. Being queer doesn’t make you look like him.”

__

“What made you realize that?”

__

“The leper was fucking scary, but somewhere between me breaking my arm and killing the fucking clown I realized that…” Eddie paused.

__

Richie looked at him, “Go on.”

__

“That how could liking someone as amazing and beautiful as you make me into a monster like that? It’s impossible. It’s statistically unlikely. Did you know that people carry—“

__

Richie put a hand over Eddie’s mouth, “Wait… you like me too?” Richie’s stomach was somewhere on the ground.

__

Eddie pushed Richie’s hand away and hid in his hands, “Yeah, since like the first day I met you. Oh god, I’m admitting too much aren’t I?”

__

Richie smiled down at him, “No, I, I like it. I liked you too, I mean, since the first day we met. And I like you now obviously.”

__

“Is that why you snapped my arm back into place?”

__

“Nah, I just wanted to see if I could really be a doctor.”

__

“You fuckwad! That hurt!”

__

“Hey, it’s less black and blue now isn’t it?”

__

“Shut up, asshole.”

__

Richie laughed and pulled Eddie in for a hug. Eddie wrapped his arms around the taller boy. They sat like that on the ground for a long time, Eddie cradled in his lap, his face resting in the crook of Richie’s neck.

__

Eventually, Eddie heard Richie sniffle. He looked up to see his eyes puffed up with tears.

__

“Richie?”

__

“I don’t want this to go away. My mom would ban me from ever seeing you again if she saw this.”

__

Eddie stood them both up, shaking the dirt off both of them and quickly sanitizing his hands before reaching his arms up and putting his hands on Richie’s cheeks.

__

“I won’t ever let this go away. I like you, trashy mouth and all, Trashmouth.”

__

Richie pushed Eddie’s hands off his cheeks and grabbed Eddie’s face with his own hands and pulled him in for a kiss, eyes closed and terrified.

__

Eddie immediately kissed him back, mouth wanting to open more but he was scared. Richie pushed their lips together harder before pulling back quickly.

__

They stared at each other in silence, both faces redder than the sunset starting behind the ally.

__

“Sleepover at my house tonight,” Eddie says finally.

__

“What do I say to my mom?” Richie asks, touching his lips. They were still tingling from the kiss.

__

“Anything. I want you with me tonight,” Eddie said. 

__

“Okay,” Richie smiled and pulled the smaller boy into a hug, “What about the gang?”

__

“They love you dude, they’re happy that we’re happy. Stan literally screamed ‘GO TO HIM’ before I chased after you like it was some romance movie.”

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That made Richie laugh, “Does that make me the girl?”

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Eddie grabbed his hand and pulled them toward the direction of his house, “No, it makes you, you.”

__

End

__

**Author's Note:**

> I may have been a bit out of character. I'm used to Richie consoling Eddie for book canon reasons. Thank you anon for challenging me! This was fun to write!
> 
> Comments/Kudos feed my ego. Criticism is always welcome as well! I might make a part 2 but I'm definitely working on more stuff.


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